Don't Let Him Walk Away
by arianna532
Summary: When Eric comes home after nearly getting Ben arrested, Rufus doesn't let Eric just walk away. Because Eric is his son too and there's no way he's getting away with that.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl**

Rufus Humphrey had been frantically looking for his step-son all night. Last night, Eric had nearly had an innocent man sent to prison and that on top of his recent drug use, was enough to make Rufus very worried. He had just sent Dan and Nate over to to look for Eric at Eric's friend, and dealer's house. Just when he was about to call the police, Eric walked in the penthouse.

"Where have you been?" Rufus asked Eric, half revealed, half furious.  
>"I was just getting coffee at Sicaffe. I got you one too." Eric handed his step-father a coffee.<br>Rufus ignored the coffee and looked at Eric."You should know that Dan and Nate are on their way over to Damien's to look for you," Rufus said sternly.  
>"Damien ditched me after the party, so the strongest drug I'm on is double Macchiatto. Are we done?" Rufus was surprised when he saw the pain in Eric's eyes. Eric wasn't like Jenny. Eric didn't do reckless things, just to do them. There was always a reason behind what he did. And Rufus was going to find out what it was.<p>

Eric turned to leave but Rufus stopped him."No. No. We're not. Talk to me. Make me understand why you want to spend so much time with a guy like him when you have all your other friends."  
>Pain shot into Eric's eyes. "What other friends? I can't believe I'm going to say this out loud—it sounds so stupid—but I thought Damien got me. You know, we could just hang out together and do nothing. He was there for me."<br>"That kind of a guy always is," Rufus said simply, understanding what Eric meant.  
>"Yeah. Well. Lesson learned. Thank you." Eric turned to leave again, but just as he had done before Rufus stopped him.<p>

"Eric, stop trying to leave. We need to talk." Rufus walked over to the couch and sat down waiting for Eric to take a seat beside him.

"Look, Rufus. I know what you're trying to say. I won't do it again. I promise," Eric said impatiently, wondering what his step-father was up too.

Rufus got slightly annoyed."Stop trying to leave. We are going to talk. I don't care if you think you know what I'm going to say. I'm going to say it anyway and you are going to listen."

Rufus was relieved to see that Eric sat down next to him on the couch.

Rufus looked Eric in the eye."I want to understand what you were feeling. What made you want to do all of this? The drugs, Damien, trying to get Ben arrested," Rufus asked gently. He didn't think he would get anywhere getting angry.

"I don't know. I just did it okay?" Eric wasn't in the mood to explain to yet another person who just wouldn't get it.

"No, not okay," Rufus said firmly, "I know you Eric. You don't do things, just to do them."

"How do you know? Maybe I do." Eric was starting to get really annoyed. Why the hell was Rufus asking him this anyway? Why did Rufus even care?

"You don't, Eric. How about telling me what going on?" Rufus really wanted to know what was wrong and he really wanted to help. He hadn't been able to help Jenny. He hadn't been much help to Dan either, but luckily Dan hadn't needed much help.

Something in Eric broke. "You really want to know? Fine! I'm all alone. Jenny's gone. Elliot broke up with me. Jonathan hates me now. Serena's too busy with Ben. Mom's busy committing perjury I'm all alone. And I could talk to Damien. He understood, or at least he pretended to. He made me feel less alone. I know everything I did was wrong, but it beat feeling so alone."

Rufus hugged his step-son."Eric, you are not alone. Even if you don't think you have anyone, you'll always have me. No matter what. I'll be there for you. I swear."

Eric pulled back from the hug."I wish I could say I didn't mean it, but I did. I knew exactly what I was doing, of who I hurting, and I did it anyway." Eric willed that the message be conveyed that he was sorry.

Rufus got the message, but that didn't mean Eric was anywhere close to off the hook. Eric was now as much his child as Dan, Jenny or Scott."Well you're sorry now. You realize it now. And that's all that matters. And if you think I'm going to just let you walk away, you've got another thing coming. Now, we're going over to the loft so you can talk to Ben and I can tell Dan and Nate to call off the search."

"Okay," Eric smiled at Rufus, "Thanks."

Rufus smiled back, "Anytime Eric. Oh and by the way. You can expect to be grounded until you leave for college."

Rufus leaned over and grabbed Eric's coffee, "And as for drugs. Caffeine is a drug too. So I'll be taking that."

"My coffee!" Eric laughed while Rufus drank his coffee.

"What? I'm old enough to mess up my life. You can have coffee when you're my age," Rufus joked.

"So when I'm sixty then?" Eric joked back.

Rufus smiled. He may not have gotten through to Jenny, but he could get through to at least one of his kids.


End file.
